WHY A MOBILE HOME IS NOT A BUILDING UNDER THE BUILDING ACT

The SUPER ARKTIK® mobile home is manufactured in accordance with the European technical standard EN 1647+A1 (in the Slovak Republic STN EN 1647+A1) and is defined by the technical standard STN EN 13878/01 – Leisure accommodation vehicles – Terms and definitions as a “transportable leisure accommodation vehicle which, by its construction, does not meet the requirements for road vehicle operation, is equipped with permanently attached means of mobility (chassis), and is intended for temporary or seasonal use”.

These technical standards apply to leisure accommodation vehicles intended for recreational purposes and set technical and safety requirements that differ from those applied to buildings intended for permanent housing. For this reason, mobile homes manufactured in accordance with these standards are generally not assessed as buildings under building legislation, provided that the characteristics of permanent connection to the ground are not met.

Why a SUPER ARKTIK ® mobile home manufactured in accordance with STN EN 1647 and defined by STN EN 13878/01 is generally not considered a building

The SUPER ARKTIK ® mobile home is a residential vehicle, not a building

According to the above-mentioned technical standards, SUPER ARKTIK ® mobile homes are classified as leisure accommodation vehicles, not as buildings. Building legislation primarily applies to objects that have the character of a building and generally does not apply to vehicles or other movable objects that are not permanently connected to the ground.

Definition of a building

Under the building legislation of the Slovak Republic, a building is understood as a construction object that is permanently connected to the ground, in particular through foundations, anchoring, or another permanent structural connection. A permanent connection to the ground is generally interpreted as a connection where the object cannot be separated from the land without damage or without intervention in the subsoil.

SUPER ARKTIK ® mobile homes:

• do not have permanent foundations,

• are not permanently anchored to the land,

• can be relocated without damage to either the structure or the land.

For these reasons, they generally do not meet the basic defining characteristic of a building, which is permanent connection to the ground.

Technical characteristics of the mobile home

Mobile homes manufactured in accordance with STN EN 1647+A1 are subject to technical requirements intended for leisure accommodation vehicles. These requirements differ from construction standards applied to buildings intended for permanent residence (e.g. STN 73 4301).

It follows that mobile homes of this type are neither designed nor assessed as buildings, but as relocatable residential units of a recreational nature.

Absence of permanent connection to the ground and ground modification when placing a mobile home

SUPER ARKTIK ® mobile homes are placed without the construction of permanent foundations or structurally modified subsoil and are not permanently connected to the ground. Any connection to utility networks is implemented in a manner that allows easy disconnection without permanent intervention in the structure of the unit.

Given the absence of permanent connection to the ground, such mobile homes are generally not assessed in practice as buildings under the Building Act.

Building permit and regulatory regime

Since the SUPER ARKTIK ® mobile home has the character of a residential vehicle rather than a construction object, its placement generally is not subject to the permitting regime of the Building Act, unless additional circumstances arise that would lead to its assessment as a building.

If the competent building authority were to assess the mobile home as a minor structure under Section 2(4)(a) of Act No. 25/2025 Coll. (assembled product with a built-up area of up to 50 m² and a height of up to 5 m), the SUPER ARKTIK ® mobile home meets these limits (built-up area up to 46 m², height approx. 3.2 m).

According to Section 18(3) of Act No. 25/2025 Coll. , the placement of minor structures generally does not require a building permit or notification, unless special regulations or local zoning rules provide otherwise.